After the fire, the rebuilding

Church helps blaze victims restock lives

STOCKTON - Weaving between tables laden with dolls and dollhouses, stuffed animals and games at Quail Lakes Baptist Church on Saturday morning, Arianna Duarte, 6, gradually restocked her collection of toys.

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By Christian Burkin

recordnet.com

By Christian Burkin

Posted Jul. 13, 2008 at 12:01 AM

By Christian Burkin

Posted Jul. 13, 2008 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

STOCKTON - Weaving between tables laden with dolls and dollhouses, stuffed animals and games at Quail Lakes Baptist Church on Saturday morning, Arianna Duarte, 6, gradually restocked her collection of toys.

Arianna lived with her father at the Sunpointe Condominiums. Her home was among those destroyed in the fire that last month burned through the western edge of the Quail Lakes neighborhood.

Her toys were also destroyed.

"Yeah, all of them," she said, responding to a reporter's question.

About 25 families affected by the fires at Quail Lakes and the Vintage Square Apartments, in the 1100 block of Rosemarie Lane, came to Quail Lakes Baptist Church on Saturday morning for a giveaway of food, clothing, furniture, appliances and sundries.

Lori Fowler, one of the giveaway's organizers, said donations came not only from members of Quail Lakes Baptist Church, but also from other area churches and other members of the community.

Among the many companies that made donations were General Mills, Fleet Feet Sports and Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fowler said.

"It's been amazing," Fowler said of the display of generosity.

The Rev. Marc Maffucci, pastor of Quail Lakes Baptist Church, said the idea for the giveaway germinated on the day of the Quail Lakes fire. The church was the designated evacuation center, and church members had a close look at the losses suffered by those who had to flee their homes.

"When the families started coming through, it was obvious some of them had lost everything," Maffucci said.

Ron Ramirez, 61, rented a home in Lost Creek Court. The home and his possessions were destroyed in the Quail Lakes fire. He said the loss of photographs and letters, memorabilia and, in particular, birth and Social Security records, was the deepest cut.

He lost videos of his grandchildren, and his daughter, Renee, lost pictures of her son.

But sifting through the wreckage later, Ramirez found a treasure buried in the bottom drawer of a charred cabinet - a single photograph from his wedding, in 1968, to his wife, Scherlyn.

"The frame was damaged, and the picture was smoky," Ramirez said.

Ramirez did not have renter's insurance. He had only recently changed auto insurance carriers, he said, and hadn't gotten around to adding renter's insurance.